At $522 million, the jackpot for the popular, multi-state game is the fifth largest in the game’s 16-year history. (The biggest-ever Mega Millions jackpot — $656 million — was won in March 2012. It was shared by winners in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland)

How do you play?

Where can you buy tickets?

You can buy Mega Millions lottery tickets — which cost $2 — from participating lottery retailers and agents. People who live in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina or North Dakota can buy tickets online.

How many people play the lottery?

It may seem like everybody’s buying lottery tickets, especially when the jackpots get this big, but actually only half of the US population buys them. About 49% of adults buy tickets, according to a June 2017 survey from Gallup.

Which state buys the most lottery tickets?

Census data on 2015 lottery ticket sales by state show that Massachusetts sells the most tickets per capita, an average of $735 per person in the state, according to analysis of the data by LendEDU. Neighboring Rhode Island is No. 2 with an average of $516. North Dakota sells the least per person, an average of only $34, followed by Oklahoma, which sells only $44 per resident, on average.